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Box 8.1.2(continued)The Plan restricts alcohol consumption on Groote Eylandt and Bickerton Island throughthe use of a permit system that controls the takeaway of alcohol from licensedpremises. Although permits are issued by the Northern Territory LicensingCommission, it is the responsibility of the Management Committee — comprising localcommunity and stakeholder representatives — to recommend when to issue, revoke orplace conditions on a permit.Impacts of the Plan to date have been:• decreased alcohol related incidents attended by police• reduced police callouts, especially to the Angurugu community in the evenings• reduced overtime payments to police officers in Alyangula• decreased callouts, especially after hours, involving the main health clinicambulance• reduced absenteeism within the mining company’s Indigenous workforce, with sickleave for Indigenous employees declining from 7.1 per cent before the Plancommenced in 1 July 2005, to 2.4 per cent since.While details of the full impact of the Plan are yet to be evaluated, it is already clearthat progress has been made through community and government groups workingtogether in a sustained and organised manner to develop and implement a communityalcohol management plan.The Northern Territory Office of Alcohol Policy and Coordination is currently organisinga consultancy to formally evaluate the Plan.Source: NT Government Treasury (unpublished).Alcohol consumption has health and social consequences through intoxication(drunkenness), alcohol dependence and other biochemical effects. In addition tochronic diseases that may affect drinkers after many years of heavy use, excessivealcohol consumption increases the risk of heart, stroke and vascular diseases, livercirrhosis and several types of cancers (AIHW 2005). It also contributes to disabilityand death through accidents, violence, suicide and homicide. Alcohol misuse alsohas impacts that extend to people other than the individual concerned. Apart fromdirectly harming an individual’s health, excessive alcohol consumption at the familyand community levels contributes to workplace-related problems, child abuse andneglect, financial problems (poverty), family breakdown, interpersonal/domesticviolence, and crime (WHO 2000, 2004).This section examines patterns of alcohol consumption and alcohol related harms,including alcohol influenced crime and alcohol related hospitalisations and deaths.SUBSTANCE USE ANDMISUSE8.5

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